SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France – Four-time major winner Rory McIlroy roared back into contention at the French Open on Friday, sinking six birdies in a 5-under round of 66 to join a five-way share of the lead.

The Northern Irishman could have taken the overall lead at the Le Golf National course – which is hosting the 2018 Ryder Cup – but a poor tee shot on the 18th hole led to a bogey.

South Korea’s Wang Jeung-hun matched McIlroy’s 66, while Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand – who was one stroke behind overnight leader Lucas Bjerregaard of Denmark – posted a 1-under 70 for a share of the lead. The other co-leaders, Mikko Ilonen of Finland and South African Brandon Stone, had 68s.

Bjerregaard is three shots behind after four bogeys in a 74.

“I played well. I kept the ball in play, I drove it well, hit fairways, hit a lot of greens. That’s sort of what you need to do around this golf course,” McIlroy said.

“I felt like I putted nicely. There were still a couple of putts that didn’t quite drop but it felt good out there. I need two more days like that over the weekend to have a chance.”

McIlroy was five shots off the lead overnight after an opening round where he struggled with his swing.

“In a way it’s nice to go into contention and not really be thinking about the result,” said McIlroy, currently in the spotlight because of his decision to miss the Olympics over concerns about the Zika virus.

He is using the tournament as a warmup for the British Open, starts July 14 at Royal Troon in western Scotland.

McIlroy announced in April that he was skipping the Bridgestone Invitational to instead play at the French Open for the first time since 2010.

While the five-man leading group has 28 European Tour wins between them, the chasing pack is strong.

Defending champion Bernd Wiesberger of Austria was at four under alongside Nicolas Colsaerts and Anders Hansen, with Joost Luiten, Francesco Molinari, Thomas Pieters and Andy Sullivan a further shot back.

Wiesberger had five birdies in his first eight holes but his momentum was ended by a triple-bogey and a bogey-bogey finish.

There are four qualifying places for the British Open up for grabs They will go to the leading four players, not otherwise exempt, who finish in the top 12 and ties.

TROON, Scotland – Royal Troon voted overwhelmingly Friday to admit female members for the first time in the club’s 138-year history.

The vote at a special meeting came less than two weeks before the British Open is held at the Ayrshire links for the ninth time, eliminating what was likely to be a distraction as more of Britain’s top links courses accept women.

“We have said a number of times recently that it is important for golf clubs to reflect the society in which we exist and the modern world that looks to us,” said Martin Cheyne, the captain at Royal Troon. “It is the right decision for the club today and for generations of golfers that will follow.”

The vote leaves Muirfield as the only links on the British Open rotation that has a male-only policy. The R&A said after Muirfield failed to get the two-thirds majority to change that it will not host another Open under its current policy.

The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, which owns and operates Muirfield, has called a special meeting to ask members for new vote by the end of the year.

The R&A said it welcomed the decision by Royal Troon and recognized “the significance for the club.”

“Our focus today is very much on The 145th Open in just under two week’ time, but we can now look forward to many more great championships at Royal Troon in years to come,” the R&A said in a statement.

Royal Troon is the second all-male club on the British Open rotation to open its membership to women. Royal St. George’s in England voted for women members last year, and that followed a vote by the Royal & Ancient Golf Club in September 2014 to have female members for the first time.

The Royal & Ancient, with headquarters at St. Andrews, governs golf everywhere in the world except for the United States and Mexico. Members belong to a club, not a golf course. The Old Course and six other courses at St. Andrews are open to the public.

Augusta National Golf Club, the home of the Masters, was the first to admit female members in 2012.

Cheyne said the vote allows Royal Troon to turn its attention to hosting the Open along with The Ladies Golf Club at Troon, which was founded in 1882.

“We can now all be focused on golf and showcasing this wonderful club and golf course to the huge global audience that this most prestigious championship commands,” Cheyne said in a statement announcing the vote.

Muirfield last hosted the Open in 2013, when Phil Mickelson won the claret jug. In May, only 64 per cent voted in favour of admitting women, falling 14 votes short.

AKRON, Ohio – Jason Day pulled out of the Olympics on Tuesday because of the Zika virus, costing golf its No. 1 player as it returns from a century-long absence at the games.

The sport has lost two of its biggest stars in the last week, adding to the perception that the Olympics are not a high priority. Rory McIlroy, a four-time major champion, also said Zika will keep from competing in Rio de Janeiro.

“The sole reason for my decision is my concerns about the possible transmission of the Zika virus and the potential risks that it may present to my wife’s future pregnancies and to future members of our family,” Day said in a statement. “I have always placed my family in front of everything else in my life.”

pic.twitter.com/UNmThs64re

— Jason Day (@JDayGolf) June 28, 2016

Day and his wife, Ellie, had their second child in November, and he has said they want more children.

The 28-year-old Australian is the fifth golfer and one of the most prominent athletes to specifically cite Zika for not going to Rio. The others are McIlroy, Charl Schwartzel, Branden Grace and Marc Leishman, whose wife’s immune system has not fully recovered after she nearly died last year of toxic shock syndrome.

American cyclist Tejay van Garderen is among a handful of athletes outside of golf who also cited Zika as the reason behind not going to Rio. Basketball star Stephen Curry didn’t specifically cite Zika but noted that “other factors” played a role in his decision to skip the games.

Brazil has been the hardest hit of the approximately 60 countries that have reported an outbreak of Zika, the mosquito-borne virus linked to severe birth defects and possible neurological problems in adults.

Day first expressed concern a month ago at the Memorial and said he had been consulting doctors so he could make a smart choice.

“Medical experts have confirmed that while perhaps slight, a decision to compete in Rio absolutely comes with health risks to me and to my family,” Day said. “While it has always been a major goal to compete in the Olympics on behalf of my country, playing golf cannot take precedent over the safety of our family. I will not place them at risk. … I hope all golf and Olympics fans respect and understand my position.”

Australia has three players in the top 50 in the world, and all of them have withdrawn – Day, Adam Scott (No. 8) and Leishman (No. 39). Next in line would be Scott Hend (No. 75) and Marcus Fraser (No. 81).

Day had been among the strongest proponents of competing in the Olympics, as had McIlroy and other young stars. But as the July 11 deadline nears for qualifying for Rio, some top golfers have been wavering.

Among the stars who plan to play or have not decided are Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, along with Canadians Graham DeLaet, David Hearn, Brooke Henderson and Alena Sharp.

The sport has not been part of the Games since 1904 in St. Louis, where Canada’s George S. Lyon captured gold.

St. Augustine, FLORIDA – With the growing excitement for golf’s return to the Olympics this summer, the World Golf Hall of Fame & Museum opened its “Road to Rio” Olympic exhibition. Amy Alcott, World Golf Hall of Fame Member and architectural design consultant on the Olympic golf course in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, cut the ceremonial ribbon to signify the opening of the new Hall of Fame exhibition.

“I think we created a special golf course that the city of Rio will be proud of long after we’re gone,” said Amy Alcott. “And as I stand here in the World Golf Hall of Fame’s ‘Road to Rio’ exhibit, I feel much closer to the project. While I wish I would’ve had the opportunity to play in the Olympics for my country, being here is really the next best thing.”

Located upstairs adjacent to the Nancy Lopez exhibit, the “Road to Rio” exhibition takes guests on a historical journey through Olympic golf, beginning in 1900 when golf was first played in the Olympics, to the 1904 Games in St. Louis – the last time golf was included in the Olympic schedule. Fast-forward to 112 years later, golf will make its highly anticipated return to the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil this August.

The featured artifacts in the “Road to Rio” exhibition are two rare gold and silver medals won by H. Chandler Egan at the 1904 Summer Games. Egan’s medals represent his achievements in the individual and team competitions. Egan, a Chicago native and a member of the Exmoor Country Club, was captain of the Western Golf Association team that won the gold medal at Glen Echo Country Club in St. Louis. Additionally, he won the individual silver medal, finishing runner-up to Canadian George Lyon. The Olympic Golf Trophy won by Lyon is on display at the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and has toured to several events this year, including the PGA Show in Orlando, as well as a handful of PGA and LPGA Tour events.

In addition to seeing the Olympic medals, fans visiting the exhibit can learn more about the Olympic qualifiers, the Olympic uniform changes from 1900 to 2016, and even take a photo atop the Olympic podium holding their country’s flag.

The Olympic men’s competition in Rio is scheduled for August 11-14, with the women’s competition scheduled for August 17-20, both at 72 holes of stroke play.

GULLANE, Scotland – Muirfield intends to stage another vote on whether to admit female members after being stripped of its right to host the British Open.

The Scottish club failed in May to get the two-thirds majority required of its membership to change its policy, drawing disapproval from across golf.

Now the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, which owns Muirfield, will seek approval from its membership to hold a fresh postal vote before the end of the year which could lead to the club returning to the British Open rota.

“A substantial majority of our members voted for change and many have voiced their disappointment with the ballot result and with subsequent events,” Henry Fairweather, captain of the HCEG, said on Monday.

“The club committee believes that a clear and decisive vote in favour of admitting women as members is required to enable us to begin the task of restoring the reputation of the club that has been damaged by the earlier ballot outcome.”

Muirfield has staged the British Open 16 times dating to 1892, most recently in 2013 when Phil Mickelson won.

The Royal and Ancient, which runs the British Open, said in May that Muirfield was off the list of 10 courses that can host golf’s oldest major championship while female members were not allowed.

“We welcome this development,” the R&A said.

BETHESDA, Md. – Billy Hurley III held the club in his left hand and fist pumped with his right. Not far from his Annapolis home and the Naval Academy he graduated from 12 years ago, he became a champion.

Hurley shot a 2-under 69 on Sunday to win his hometown Quicken Loans National at Congressional for his first PGA Tour victory. He finished at 17 under in Tiger Woods’ annual tournament, three strokes ahead of three-time major champion Vijay Singh.

“Billy played well,” Singh said. “He’s been playing well all week. You can see he’s under control and it’s nice to see him play well and not lose it actually at the end of the tournament.”

Hurley didn’t lose it. He only got better as it went along.

To beat Singh, Ernie Els and 21-year-old Jon Rahm, Hurley showed the poise he developed at the Naval Academy and during his five years of service. Mental toughness and focus he said help with adversity on the course, and that showed through in his 104th PGA Tour start.

With the 53-year-old Singh closing on him, Hurley was at his best. He holed out from 35 yards on the fairway for birdie on the 15th, a shot worthy of celebration and one Woods himself called “impressive, really impressive.”

As if that wasn’t enough, Hurley made a 27-foot putt on the 16th to seal the tournament and wrap up the $1,242,000 first-place prize and a spot in the British Open. He had never finished higher than a tie for fourth in a PGA Tour event.

Hurley celebrated on the 18th green with wife Heather, daughter Madison and sons Will and Jacob. His children held miniature American flags as they watched their father reach a high point in his career.

“I couldn’t think of a better tournament for my first PGA Tour win,” Hurley said. “I’m just thrilled to have gotten it done today.”

Singh closed with a 65. Rahm, the former Arizona State star from Spain, wrapped up his professional debut with a 70 to tie for third with Bill Haas (68) at 13 under. Els was fifth at 12 under after an eventful 72 that included five bogeys and one double.

David Hearn (69) of Brantford, Ont., and Nick Taylor (70) of Abbotsford, B.C., finished in a tie for 12th at 6-under par.

Hurley also had his father on his mind, 10 months after he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He thought of his dad, a police officer, when he saw officers following his group Saturday.

“It’s been a hard year,” Hurley said Sunday. “It’s been a really hard year, so it’s nice to have something go well.”

Hurley maintained his focus in the final round with Woods watching in his trademark Sunday red and with galleries full of fans supporting the local boy who grew up in Leesburg, Virginia, and proudly sports Navy colours including a club head cover of the academy’s goat mascot.

All week, Hurley heard chants of “Maryland” and “21412,” the zip code for the Naval Academy. The honorary starters on the first hole Sunday were Naval officers Georges Labaki and Matthew Cook, who both had met and talked to Hurley about golf and service.

“He served, for one,” Labaki said. “He did his time and he’s also representing the Navy. I’ve had a talk with him, personally, also, a few years ago. He said it’s been an honour to serve, but he wanted to follow his passion, golf.”

ROGERS, Ark. – Top-ranked Lydia Ko won the NW Arkansas Championship on Sunday for her third LPGA Tour victory of the year, closing with a 3-under 68 for a tournament-record 17-under total and a three-stroke victory.

The 19-year-old New Zealander has 13 career LPGA Tour victories, also winning the Kia Classic and major ANA Inspiration in consecutive weeks in Southern California. She broke the previous tournament record by two strokes.

Ko has finished sixth or better in each of her four appearances at Pinnacle Country Club, and she has shot under par in all 12 rounds.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp entered the day two strokes behind Ko, but fell out of contention with a even-par 71. She finished in eighth at 12 under. Maude-Aimee Leblanc, from Sherbrooke, Que., shot a 2-under 69 to finish 5 under.

Morgan Pressel, tied for the lead with Ko at 14 under entering the day, had a 71 to tie for second with Candie Kung (69).

Pressel was the clubhouse leader by two shots Saturday afternoon before Ko shot a back-nine 28 and tied her at 14 under with an eagle on the par-5 18th.

The New Zealander, who became the youngest two-time major winner in LPGA history at the ANA Inspiration, wasted little time in taking control of the tournament after teeing off Sunday.

Playing in the final pairing with Pressel, Ko birdied four of her first five holes – only settling for a par once in the five-hole stretch when narrowly missing a short birdie putt on the par-3 third. After Pressel bogeyed the par-5 second, Ko went from even to three shots clear of the field after only two holes.

And that was just the start of Ko’s final-round coronation on a 6,330-yard course she’s tamed in each of her four tournament appearances. Ko has shot below 70 in 11 of her 12 rounds at Pinnacle, including matching the course record with her 9-under 62 on Saturday.

Ko fell back to 17 under with a bogey on No. 6, but she stayed two shots clear of Pressel with a 30-foot birdie putt on the par-4 eighth. She then reached as low as 19 under with a birdie on the 246-yard par-4 10th, well on her way to topping the previous tournament low of 15 under – set by Seon Hwa Lee in 2008 and matched by Na Yeon Choi a year ago.

Pressel stayed within two shots of Ko for much of the round, reaching 17 under following a birdie on No. 10. However, her round unraveled with a poor tee shot on the par-3 11th – leading to the first of four straight bogeys that took Pressel, who is still in search of her first victory since 2008, out of contention.

Ko, atop the world rankings for the last 35 weeks, earned $300,000. She began the 18th with a four-shot lead before hitting her layup in the water and settling for a bogey.

MADISON, Wis. – Kirk Triplett rallied to win the inaugural American Family Insurance Championship on Sunday for his fifth PGA Tour Champions title, making four straight birdies in front of another large crowd at University Ridge.

The 54-year-old Triplett shot a 7-under 65 to finish at 17-under 199, two strokes ahead of Bart Bryant and Mike Goodes.

Triplett birdied the par-4 13th, 14th and 15th and par-5 16th, saved par with a 6-footer on the par-3 17th and parred the par-4 18th. The three-time PGA Tour winner played the front nine in 3 under, dropped a stroke on the par-4 10th and birdied the par-5 11th.

Bart Bryant, the leader at 17 under after a birdie on 14, had a 69. He made a triple-bogey 7 on the 15th after losing his ball when it sailed to the right off the tee.

Goodes shot a 68.

Third-round leader Jean-Francois Remesy of France had a 71 to tie for fourth at 14 under with Fran Quinn (67), Billy Andrade (68) and Gene Sauers (70).

Bernhard Langer finished with a 69 to tie for 13th at 11 under. The 58-year-old German star was coming off a victory two weeks ago in the Constellation Senior Players Championship.

John Daly had a 66 – his best round in his first six events on the tour – to tie for 36th at 7 under.

Hometown PGA Tour player Steve Stricker helped launch the event and is the tournament host. He turns 50 in February and will be eligible to play next year.

Whitecap, Sask. – Germany’s Max Rottluff capped off a marathon Sunday at Dakota Dunes Golf Links by shooting a 6-under 66 to win the SIGA Dakota Dunes Open, the fourth event of the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.

The 23-year old Arizona State University grad finished at 23-under par for the week to win by one over North Carolina’s Carter Jenkins. The win comes in Rottluff’s third start as a professional.

“To win in my third start after missing the first two cuts, that was certainly not on the radar and came unexpectedly,” said Rottluff. “I haven’t had the year that I was hoping for, but coming out with the win today gives me a lot of confidence. It’s a huge boost.”

Rottluff and Jenkins began the day with a share of the lead and 35 holes to play in the tournament due to delays from Saturday’s thunderstorms. After play resumed at 8 a.m. the pair – who played together for every round of the tournament – concluded round three with identical rounds of 67-65-67 to sit tied at 17-under through 54 holes.

“It was fun playing with Carter. We were just throwing those birdies at each other, and I’m sure if we weren’t paired together we wouldn’t be where we are right now. It was fun,” said Rottluff.

With four holes to go, the stalemate had yet to be broken, but after Jenkins bogeyed the par-3 15th, Rottluff took control by giving himself birdie opportunities at each of the last three holes. His birdie at the par-5 16th pushed the leading score to 23-under, and after Jenkins was unable to convert long birdie putts on the 17th and 18th, Rottluff two-putted his way to victory.

Rottluff benefited all week from the support of his girlfriend and caddie Emily Collins, a professional golfer herself who plays on the Symetra Tour.

“She was great. She’s a great player herself, and reading the greens she helped me a lot. I should listen to her a little bit more,” said Rottluff with a smile.

With the victory, Rottluff moves to third place on the Order of Merit through four events, in position to earn Web.com Tour status for 2017.

“I’ve set goals to make it through the Mackenzie Tour on to the Web.com Tour. That’s the goal for a lot of guys out here, but for me to get the win in my third pro start is huge, especially after missing the cut the first two weeks,” said Rottluff.

Two shots behind Rottluff in solo third was Calgary, Alberta’s James Love, who came into the week without Mackenzie Tour status but earned conditional membership for the remainder of the year by being one of the top three non-members on the Order of Merit through four events.

LOVE TAKES FREEDOM 55 FINANCIAL TOP CANADIAN

With a total score of 20-under par in solo second place, Calgary’s James Love finished as the top Canadian on the leaderboard, earning Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Week honours and a $2,500 prize.

The top Canadian on the leaderboard each week takes home the award, with the top Canadian on the Order of Merit at season’s end earning the Dan Halldorson Trophy, Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Year honours and a $25,000 prize.

CHASE FOR THE FIVE

With a T8 finish on Sunday, Dan McCarthy extended his spot atop the Order of Merit, earning $5,075 for the week. Below are the top five players through two events (bold denotes Canadian):

1. Dan McCarthy $73,938
2. Adam Cornelson $33,810
3. Max Rottluff $31,500
4. Ryan Williams $27,363
5. Carter Jenkins $21,070

ROGERS, Ark. – Top-ranked Lydia Ko eagled the par-5 18th to tie the course record at 9-under 62 and take a share of the second-round lead Saturday in the LPGA Tour’s NW Arkansas Championship.

Ko matched Morgan Pressel at 14-under 128 at Pinnacle Country Club, tying the tournament 36-hole record set by Veronica Felibert in 2012. Ko played the final eight holes in 7 under, making five birdies and the eagle.

Pressel, winless since 2008, had a 63.

China’s Jing Yan, Taiwan’s Candie Kung and Canada’s Alena Sharp were 12 under. Sharp birdied the last two holes for a 65, Yan also shot 65, and Kung had a 66.

First-round leader Ayako Uehara followed her opening 62 with a 74 to drop to 6 under.

The 19-year-old Ko closed with a flourish on the back nine at the 6,330-yard course she’s has much success on over the last three years. The New Zealander finished fourth as an amateur in the event three years ago, and followed that by finishing second and sixth over the last two years.

On Saturday, Ko made the turn at 7 under and was well off the early leaders when she missed the fairway with a poor drive on No. 10. She recovered to make par and followed with four straight birdies, capping her 7-under back nine with a 10-foot putt for birdie on No. 17 and a 12-foot eagle putt on the 520-yard par-5 18th.

Ko has two LPGA Tour victories this year, including the major ANA Inspiration, to push her career total to 12. The reining LPGA Tour Player of the Year has finished no lower than 23rd this year and had finished in the top 10 in eight of her 12 tournaments.

Pressel, meanwhile, hasn’t won since the 2008 Kapalua Classic. The major winner at the 2007 Kraft Nabisco Championship (no the ANA Inspirtation), however, has finished second five times since her last victory – including last month in Alabama.

Pressel was one of 13 players who opened the tournament with a 65 on Friday, and she quickly moved up the leaderboard during her afternoon round Saturday.

After Yan took the early clubhouse lead at 12 under following her second straight 65, Pressel moved into a tie at the top following back-to-back birdies on Nos. 13 and 14. She closed her round with a 10-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th and a two-putt birdie on No. 18.

Pressel missed the cut last year, but she has finished as high as 16th in her eight previous appearances at the tournament. She hit 11 of 13 fairways and 15 of 18 greens in regulation on Saturday, needing 27 putts on her way to a career low round on the course – topping an opening-round 66 she shot in 2010.

Ko, who opened with 66, needed only 27 putts and hit 17 of 18 greens in regulation.

Local favourite and former No. 1 Stacy Lewis was 5 under after a 70.

Second-ranked Brooke Henderson, who beat Ko in a playoff two weeks ago at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, missed the cut after a second-round 73 and finished at even par.

Defending champion Na Yeon Choi also missed the cut, finishing at 4 over.